MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'flare'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:09:53 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4976058&cid=t_113306_129_f&fid=36036&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Fkelly-building-a-crohns-disease-community%2Fmanaging-job-stress-and-crohns%2F Well…I think that, once again, I am facing a change in my career. Actually, I am not certain where my career is going, but I do know that I cannot continue working in my current position. During October of last year, I was transitioned onto a ‘Proposal Tiger Team’ within my corporation and have been struggling with my work-life balance ever since. The job is intense, stressful, and one of those occupations where, to succeed, you have to give up your personal life and give everything you have to the company. I cannot do that — nor do I want to. Having a chronic disease further limits how much I can afford to give. I actually told my management that I have Crohn’s disease (a career first for me!) and that I cannot afford to work 10- to 11-hour days every day of the week (for w... Life with Crohn's blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4976058 Tue, 28 Jun 2011 15:09:21 +0100 4976058 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4512501&cid=t_113306_129_f&fid=36036&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Fkelly-building-a-crohns-disease-community%2Fanxiety-about-testing-medicine-and-doctors%2F It’s that time of year again — time for my yearly bone density check. I am really dreading the bone scan this year, but it is not because the test is hard. It is pretty much one of the easiest procedures that we, as Crohn’s patients, have to take. I am dreading the scan, because I am dreading the results. I just don’t want any more bad news. I don’t want to have to take the Reclast infusion again, and I know that if my test comes out worse, the rheumatologist is going to insist that I do. Recently, the FDA has begun studying drugs like Reclast, Boniva, and Fosamax due to signs that the drugs can cause abnormal heart rhythms. There is also some controversy about whether or not these drugs can actually increase the chance of thigh bone fracture after five years or more. My gen... Life with Crohn's blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4512501 Wed, 23 Feb 2011 22:36:24 +0100 4512501 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4281414&cid=t_113306_129_f&fid=36036&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Fkelly-building-a-crohns-disease-community%2Fbeing-open-about-crohns-in-the-workplace%2F I think I have started a new era in my career — an era of openness about my Crohn’s disease. This is very unusual for me because I usually keep my disease to myself and only tell people I can trust. I definitely wait until after I prove myself, which is usually anywhere from one to two years. But this time everything is different. The work load in my new position is sometimes pretty intense due to very tight deadlines and I am having trouble with my work/life balance. I am now a proposal writer for my company and when we are responding to a request for work, the expectation is that you give everything you have to get it done by deadline. This philosophy is okay every now and then, but for the long duration it is just not feasible. Even for someone without a chronic disease, it is impor... Life with Crohn's blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4281414 Wed, 22 Dec 2010 20:01:39 +0100 4281414 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4190335&cid=t_113306_129_f&fid=36036&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Fkelly-building-a-crohns-disease-community%2Fhappy-thanksgiving%2F It is that time of year again, the time when those who suffer from Crohn’s and other digestive diseases must remain strong in the face of an abundance of delicious and wonderful foods. This is my favorite time of year because of the cool weather, the wonderful colors on the trees, and the chance to spend time with family and friends. It is also the hardest time of the year for me with my Crohn’s. The falls in Houston are usually pretty damp and we get a lot of mold and fungus this time of year. I am highly allergic to mold and fungus so I usually end up with a sinus infection or asthma trouble around Halloween or Thanksgiving. This year I have a double whammy with a urinary tract infection and a sinus infection. I have been on antibiotics, but they are making me really sick — very ba... Life with Crohn's blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4190335 Mon, 22 Nov 2010 17:02:30 +0100 4190335 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3733183&cid=t_113306_129_f&fid=36038&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Ftrevis-life-with-multiple-sclerosis-ms%2Fthe-mercury-climbs-hows-your-ms-today%2F While summer is finally making an appearance in my adopted city, I know that much of the rest of the country is absolutely melting!  I was in North Carolina all last week and was happy that my client had a well air-conditioned kitchen! Yes; I had to rally and make the trip even though I’ve been dealing with a new slip in my condition.  I planned much rest and no evening events, but still…with a 3-hour time change, full days of pretty intense testing, the heat back there and the kind of summer cold virus that we all hate; it’s been a rough few days (thus the lack of a post on Friday). So, that’s my MS this month; how’s yours? We do this every month to check in with each other and with ourselves. I know that it’s not steamy hot all over the country (and I’m sure once our frie... Life with MS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3733183 Wed, 07 Jul 2010 21:32:42 +0100 3733183 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3718571&cid=t_113306_129_f&fid=36036&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Fkelly-building-a-crohns-disease-community%2Fvacationing-with-crohns%2F Next week is vacation week!  Actually, we are leaving tomorrow and today is my get-ready-for-vacation day.  That entails packing up all of my medicines, getting together lists of possible safe places to eat, and getting the house ready.  We are going on a hopefully wonderful vacation to Hawaii.  Of course it will be wonderful, I just put the hopefully in there because I am not sure that my Crohn’s will be wonderful.  It has been acting up again – just in time for Hawaii.  Oh well, what can you do? My husband travels a lot for his company and racks up the frequent flyer miles so we were able to get the flights to Hawaii for free using his miles.  As you may have read, I have been having a tough time with my Crohn’s this year and have been trying to get back into remission after... Life with Crohn's blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3718571 Thu, 01 Jul 2010 21:22:04 +0100 3718571 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3599614&cid=t_113306_129_f&fid=36036&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Fkelly-building-a-crohns-disease-community%2Ftracking-down-a-troublesome-food%2F May 23, 2010 Today was actually a pretty good day. I didn’t feel horrible the entire day and was actually able to go in the pool and swim around a bit. This week has not been too bad either, but I am hesitant to become hopeful. The last few times that I thought I was turning around and finally climbing up the steep slope from which I have fallen (steep slope of Crohn’s flare), only to find myself still sliding even further downhill. I am not going to get too hopeful until I have been doing better for a longer period of time. My tactic right now is to just not think about it too much. I have had this disease for almost 20 years now and I am still just as confused as ever. I will think I have it a little bit figured out and then my Crohn’s will go and change on me. Right now I seem... Life with Crohn's blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3599614 Wed, 26 May 2010 03:13:27 +0100 3599614 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3588964&cid=t_113306_129_f&fid=36038&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Ftrevis-life-with-multiple-sclerosis-ms%2Fms-and-menopause%2F MS affects so many parts of our daily life. I wonder how much of our daily lives affect our multiple sclerosis… There is proof that diet and exercise can help improve symptoms of MS and a growing body of evidence that what we do may change, on at least some small level, the course of our actual disease. Even if it’s written off as “a healthy body recovers faster”, that’s at least something! Of course some things happen to our bodies, over which we have little to no control, which can have significant effect on our symptoms and disease. Infection/fever and pregnancy come to mind. My diagnosing MRI revealed a massive sinus infection; the fever from which made the flair so much worse (bad enough to make me go to the doctor). The issue of pregnancy and its confounding effect on a wo... Life with MS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3588964 Fri, 21 May 2010 19:27:37 +0100 3588964 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3566720&cid=t_113306_129_f&fid=36038&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Ftrevis-life-with-multiple-sclerosis-ms%2Fmay-i-ask-how%25e2%2580%2599s-your-ms-today%2F MS changes: Day-to-day, week-to-week, month-to-month. Every month, we try to take time in the first couple of weeks with the intent to allow for a bit of reflection and self-analysis about the current state or your Multiple Sclerosis. Feel free to leave a comment about your current successes and/or difficulties.  Ask questions of one another, or propose a topic for future blog discussions.  This monthly conversation has been going on for over 4 years now, and I don’t see a reason to stop now! As for my MS today? You may have noted a lack of posts this week until today.  I was working in Portland, OR from last Sunday and, quite frankly between the travel and the work I found my limits… about 100yds behind me! My next 6 weeks have me traveling a considerable amount (7 trips, 5 states ... Life with MS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3566720 Fri, 14 May 2010 17:50:04 +0100 3566720 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3499195&cid=t_113306_129_f&fid=36036&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Fkelly-building-a-crohns-disease-community%2Fhow-is-your-crohns%2F Hello everyone!  In case you are new to the blog, I will explain the topic of today’s blog.  Every month I like to check in with everyone to see how you have been doing.  Everyone writes in and tells how they have been feeling and what has been going on with their Crohn’s or with anything else.  It is a great way for us to share and to vent.  It has been a little while since we last did this, so I am expecting lots of comments from everyone so that we can catch up! I have not been doing too well lately.  I guess that I should have seen it coming but, as always, I seem to miss the little subtle signs of an oncoming flare.  Since 2010 has started, it seems it has been one thing after another, but hopefully I will get it turned around soon.  After the strange pain that was in my l... Life with Crohn's blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3499195 Thu, 22 Apr 2010 22:00:42 +0100 3499195 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3479789&cid=t_113306_129_f&fid=36038&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Ftrevis-life-with-multiple-sclerosis-ms%2Fis-it-ms%2F A couple of years ago, my local chapter of the National MS Society spearheaded a media campaign under the header “Why Here?” having to do with an increased prevalence of MS in America’s Pacific Northwest (approximately 1:500) Numerous billboards around the area were the impetus for many, MANY in depth conversations about MS in the community. This year the chapter has launched “Is It MS?” and while there are many conversations, the tone of the conversations has changed a bit. “Why Here?” seemed to open the door to questions and discussion about our disease without threatening.  When people found out about my multiple sclerosis, they would mention that they had heard that MS was a big issue here, etc. “Is It MS?”, however has started far few conversations from the general... Life with MS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3479789 Fri, 16 Apr 2010 21:25:09 +0100 3479789 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3471922&cid=t_113306_129_f&fid=36038&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Ftrevis-life-with-multiple-sclerosis-ms%2Fapril-check-how%25e2%2580%2599s-your-ms-today%2F   Every month, Life With MS opens up the conversation about Multiple Sclerosis to your thoughts. Usually, I try to post this blog the first Wednesday of the month, but last Wednesday was when I heard about the CCSVI webcast and wanted to get that information out to everyone straight away!  In fact, that webcast takes place today (4/14) at 9:00am PDT. I’ve submitted my question.  I hope you did as well! So, this is a little late this month, but; How is YOUR MS today? I’ll not cover up the fact that my MS has been hanging around this past fortnight a bit more predominantly than I’d like. Between the “post-Novantrone” anemia, a 2-hr live TV program, Walk MS in Seattle and my recent fall, I guess you could say that I’ve had my share of MS this month already! But enough about m... Life with MS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3471922 Wed, 14 Apr 2010 18:26:54 +0100 3471922 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3429325&cid=t_113306_129_f&fid=36036&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Fkelly-building-a-crohns-disease-community%2Fslacking-to-cope-with-crohns-disease%2F It seems that my Crohn’s disease has a mind of its own lately.  I like to think of it as a wild bull, strong and powerful and definitely pigheaded.  My Crohn’s can’t be tamed and, each time I try, I end up conceding, so I might as well learn how to ride.  You would think that after almost 19 years of having this disease that I would know how to ride.  But, I don’t.  Each time the ride is different.  Each time I think that I am ready and know what to do, but then the bull turns left instead of right, or goes right instead of left.  Or, it simple starts bucking me to death until I pay attention.  Well, it has my attention now! I think that I am doing better now with it than I did in the past.  In the past, I thought that I was invincible and that Crohn’s couldn’t stop m... Life with Crohn's blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3429325 Wed, 31 Mar 2010 19:27:15 +0100 3429325 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3374261&cid=t_113306_129_f&fid=36038&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Ftrevis-life-with-multiple-sclerosis-ms%2Fweakness-in-the-hands-and-the-price-of-dishes%2F I’m dropping things! Pre-diagnosis, back in my 20’s, I simply thought I was clumsy.  I’d trip on exposed tree roots on a hike.  I’d slip and fall down the stairs.  Rugs (and cats) became my introduction to the floor more than once and oh, the glassware I’ve broken… That was then; this is now and I’m still dropping things. Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve noticed that I’m sweeping up more broken glass and porcelain than I have in a while.  Wine glasses (empty, thank goodness, up to this point) seem to have an additional gravitational pull these days.  Plates (not all empty, unfortunately) have simply flung from my hand as I turned.  The cost of toothbrushes I’ve had to replace is starting to need its own line in my budget. The incidents are not coincidence.  I ... Life with MS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3374261 Tue, 16 Mar 2010 19:14:44 +0100 3374261 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3359129&cid=t_113306_129_f&fid=36036&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Fkelly-building-a-crohns-disease-community%2Fcrohns-disease-and-bone-density%2F Last Friday, I went to see my rheumatologist to see if my bone density disintegration due to long-term prednisone usage has improved any in the last 6 months since I have taken the medication ‘Reclast’.  Reclast is a once a year infusion (it bypasses your gastrointestinal system) that helps your bones become stronger.  The verdict from the visit was not good and my yearly bone density scan showed that my density has stayed the same for two of the places that they check and one place actually got 0.2 worse.  I was really hoping for some improvement, but maybe it is still too soon. I used to drink a Dr. Pepper every day (just one), but since January of this year I have cut that out.  I read that sodas cause your blood to be more acidic, causing it to pull more minerals from your body... Life with Crohn's blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3359129 Thu, 11 Mar 2010 22:56:05 +0100 3359129 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3338351&cid=t_113306_129_f&fid=36038&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Ftrevis-life-with-multiple-sclerosis-ms%2Fno-%25e2%2580%259cdeath-with-dignity%25e2%2580%259d-for-ms-patients%2F I am not a morbid person - a black sense of humor; that I’ll cop to – but a recent batch of comments on a previous post on the subject brought the topic back to my mind. I’ve been meaning to post something of a follow-up ever since my state passed a “Death With Dignity” Act, back in 2008. It was a hard-fought battle between the two sides with impassioned pleas from proponents and opponents alike.  In the end, the measure passed overwhelmingly. The thing is, the law was crafted with such tight restrictions as to make (some say “appropriately”) difficult to carry out.  In fact, a reading of the 10 pages of legalese which is the law makes it quite clear that a person in the final throws of MS would not be eligible for the relief intended by the law. A person, in Washin... Life with MS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3338351 Fri, 05 Mar 2010 22:42:03 +0100 3338351 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3327181&cid=t_113306_129_f&fid=36038&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Ftrevis-life-with-multiple-sclerosis-ms%2Fmarch-forth-and-tell-us-hows-your-ms-today%2F Tomorrow is the only day I know of which sounds like an order: “March Fourth!” So, we do…with MS, we March Forth! Every month we take a moment and assess our MS symptoms, treatments, coping mechanisms, triumphs and tribulations; our lives with MS. Today, have a check-in moment with yourself and answer the question; “How is your MS today?” My MS has been static the past several weeks.  I’m pretty glad as I have not been!  Maybe it’s because I’ve gotten used to the “stuff” MS has already taken away, but life with MS has been alright (relative) this past four weeks.  Anyway, I’ve had a lot going on (I’ve already traveled away from home 2 weeks on three trips this year…and it’s only the third month!) and I’m happy that I haven’t had any new stuff to deal with... Life with MS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3327181 Wed, 03 Mar 2010 16:34:58 +0100 3327181 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3189288&cid=t_113306_129_f&fid=36038&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Ftrevis-life-with-multiple-sclerosis-ms%2Freally-weird-ms-symptoms%2F If multiple sclerosis symptoms are nothing else, especially to the newly diagnosed, they are weird!  Sure, symptoms can be frightening, challenging, difficult and even debilitating… but how many times have I caught myself saying, “Hmmmm, that’s weird!” Often we are told, “That’s doesn’t sound like MS,” or something of the kind, by our medical professionals only to find out (oft, via the pages of this blog) that we are not alone in our experience of something not in the medical text books.  It is one of the aspects of the Life with MS blog of which I am most proud! I have a real doozie to share, with a discussion of MS symptoms from the X-Files. The middle of last week, I developed a cold.  You know that feeling when you wake, somewhere between the back of your nose and t... Life with MS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3189288 Wed, 20 Jan 2010 17:14:22 +0100 3189288 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3178899&cid=t_113306_129_f&fid=36038&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Ftrevis-life-with-multiple-sclerosis-ms%2Fdo-you-have-any-triggers-for-an-ms-attack%2F Over the years, we’ve come to understand that medical science is a ways behind those of us living with multiple sclerosis when it comes to the experience of our disease.  The biggest of these lags comes to mind in the form of multiple sclerosis pain.  Most of us can remember a day when leading minds didn’t believe that pain could be a symptom of a disease which also caused numbness. Now, of course, most scientists agree with what we have known all along: MS can hurt! Current thinking about the progression of disability, by way of exacerbation (or attack), is fragmented at best. I thought we might have a discussion headed into the weekend about “triggers” for our multiple sclerosis. Many people will convey a memory of great stress before their first big attacks (which, if the dise... Life with MS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3178899 Fri, 15 Jan 2010 20:51:03 +0100 3178899 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3172104&cid=t_113306_129_f&fid=36038&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Ftrevis-life-with-multiple-sclerosis-ms%2Fa-new-decade-begins-hows-your-ms-today%2F We try to take the second week of each month and post the query: How’s your MS today?  It’s a chance for you to check in with yourself and with other members of this community and it’s a chance for me to be true to something I stated in our very first blog nearly four years ago, “It’s all about you!” This monthly open forum allows for new threads of conversation as well as an opportunity to take stock of where we are with our multiple sclerosis relative to the previous months.  I have found it a very helpful part of my health care plan! As for me and my MS… two day-long flights and bouts of eight hour time change induced jet lag have made me quite very aware of how different my body reacts as compared to just four years ago (my last extended trip to Ireland was just pri... Life with MS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3172104 Wed, 13 Jan 2010 17:46:04 +0100 3172104 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2981244&cid=t_113306_129_f&fid=36035&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-chronic-pain%2Fa-lousy-day-with-an-irritable-bowel-flare%2F Where are the words to describe a day like this? Rarely short on words, I find it’s more a matter of propriety, society and sobriety. No, it’s not that kind of sobriety. If you have IBS and you allow any alcohol to go “over the gums and into the tum,” then you will quickly learn it’s like swallowing battery acid. This kind of sobriety is the type I often battle because I’m a natural born smart ass. I use humor like some people use Kleenex; to cope, to wipe away problems and to get through the day.  As always I strive to find a way to say it without being too insensitive while displaying the correct amount of respect for others who suffer IBS. To be honest with all of you and I do try to be; I usually just let my words, driven by my thoughts and experiences, well, “just rip.�... Life with Chronic Pain blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2981244 Tue, 10 Nov 2009 22:00:35 +0100 2981244 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2812459&cid=t_113306_111_f&fid=36048&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAHeartyLife%2F%7E3%2F6_HAGV8YE8Y%2F It wasn’t that long ago that parents were told that their children’s asthma was psychosomatic, or in their head. Or they were told the opposite, that they had to protect their children from everything, lest their asthma kick in. Thankfully, we know that both are not true, although there’s a kernel of truth (albeit a small one) in both. “It’s all in your head.” This was a particularly common idea when it came to asthma. Likely, this came to be because asthma can be exacerbated, made worse, by physical or psychological stress. The stress doesn’t cause the asthma, but it can cause the body to react in such a way that the airways start to constrict, close up. As well, most usual day-to-day activities don’t cause asthma, not even many extreme acti... A Hearty Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2812459 Sun, 20 Sep 2009 15:33:50 +0100 2812459 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2724912&cid=t_113306_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2009%2F08%2F21%2F10-things-to-say-to-a-sick-friend%2F Years ago, when I was pretty sick with a bad flare-up of scleroderma and unable to leave the house, a friend of mine would call once in a while to say, “I’m going to the supermarket. Can I pick anything up for you?” That simple offer filled me with love. Most times I’d say, “No thanks, Julie, I’m all set,” but I’d hang up with a lighter heart and a smile on my face. Lisa Copen has lived with rheumatoid arthritis for 16 yrs. She’s a mom and wife, an author, speaker and founder of Invisible Illness Week, September 14-20, 2009. Lisa used Twitter in a very clever way. She asked her followers a question: What would be a good thing to say to a sick person? She says, “Oftentimes people are told what not to say. This is a great help in gi... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2724912 Fri, 21 Aug 2009 18:51:48 +0100 2724912 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2695540&cid=t_113306_129_f&fid=36038&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Ftrevis-life-with-multiple-sclerosis-ms%2Fhappy-august-hows-your-ms-today%2F The multiple sclerosis community here at Everyday Health is growing like crazy!  In one day, last week, our blog on the heat and MS garnered over 60 comments (and we know that most people read and don’t comment). I’d like to introduce our “newbies” to our monthly posting which gives you a chance to check in with the rest of us.  “How’s Your MS Today” has been going on for a number of years now.  It’s our chance to take a look back at the previous month and see how/if our MS has been changing. Many find it helpful to glance back at their comments over the past 6-12 months before heading in for a neuro appointment; I know I do! We also mine the comments in this section for new ideas and topics for future blog postings. I’ll go first: My MS today (for the past week, reall... Life with MS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2695540 Wed, 12 Aug 2009 21:05:54 +0100 2695540 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2667605&cid=t_113306_129_f&fid=36038&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Ftrevis-life-with-multiple-sclerosis-ms%2Fextreme-heat-in-seattle-is-causing-my-ms-to-pseudo-exacerbate%2F Let me begin this post with a humble and heartfelt apology for not posting last week.  I’ve been overwhelmed with two major events that were making 16 hour days my norm.   That’s over and I’m back on track, sort of. The stresses of my last fortnight coupled with our annual four-day heat wave in Seattle have brought some “old friends” back for a go.  In other words, I’ve been suffering flares of pseudo-exacerbations.  I know heat plays havoc with the electrical circuitry of my central nervous system, a fever will set me down pretty well too. Long, cool showers or soaks in a tub help lower my body’s temperature when the mercury soars.  It’s nice to know that I can do something to relive those symptoms. I’m wondering what, if anything has brought on a flare of pseudo f... Life with MS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2667605 Mon, 03 Aug 2009 22:00:44 +0100 2667605 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2657823&cid=t_113306_129_f&fid=36038&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Ftrevis-life-with-multiple-sclerosis-ms%2Fextreme-heat-in-seattle-is-causing-my-ms-to-pseudo-exacerbate%2F Let me begin this post with a humble and heartfelt apology for not posting last week.  I’ve been overwhelmed with two major events that were making 16 hour days my norm.   That’s over and I’m back on track, sort of. The stresses of my last fortnight coupled with our annual four-day heat wave in Seattle have brought some “old friends” back for a go.  In other words, I’ve been suffering flares of pseudo exacerbations.  I know heat plays havoc with the electrical circuitry of my central nervous system, a fever will set me down pretty well too. Long, cool showers or soaks in a tub help lower my body’s temperature when the mercury soars.  It’s nice to know that I can do something to relive those symptoms. I’m wondering what, if anything has brought on a flare of pseudo f... Life with MS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2657823 Thu, 30 Jul 2009 21:40:22 +0100 2657823 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2653931&cid=t_113306_129_f&fid=36036&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Fkelly-building-a-crohns-disease-community%2Fcrohn%25e2%2580%2599s-and-problems-with-doctor%25e2%2580%2599s-offices-and-insurance-companies%2F I have been having issues with my insurance company lately and I thought that I would share my dilemma.   Maybe someone out there has had a similar problem and could give me some advice. I go to a rheumatologist for my Crohn’s disease and for my bones.  I get inflammation in my joints which is linked to my Crohn’s and occasionally they will swell up so bad that I cannot walk. They say that it is like rheumatoid arthritis but is only my Crohn’s pretending to be RA (I don’t really have RA but the Crohn’s will mimic the RA symptoms).   I have osteoporosis from all of the prednisone that I have taken and have been taking Boniva to help build my bones back up. I have Aetna insurance and have up until recently, really liked them.  The co-payments are great (10$ for each visit) an... Life with Crohn's blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2653931 Wed, 29 Jul 2009 19:03:10 +0100 2653931 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2611111&cid=t_113306_129_f&fid=36036&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Fkelly-building-a-crohns-disease-community%2Fcrohns-disease-and-your-period%2F It is that time of the month again, and this time I don’t mean time for the monthly update on your Crohn’s (How is your Crohn’s today). It is that time of the month in my menstruation cycle and I am feeling lousy.  For all you men out there, you may not find any interest in today’s topic, so feel free to stop reading at any point in this blog. Whenever I get my period, my Crohn’s will also flare-up.  It will flare at a different variety of levels - sometimes a little bit, sometimes a lot, and sometimes not at all (although this is very infrequent).  I am not sure that it is really my Crohn’s flaring or if it is just a normal side effect of getting your period, but I usually get really bad cramps and diarrhea and pretty much feel lousy for a few days.  This happens most of t... Life with Crohn's blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2611111 Thu, 16 Jul 2009 21:45:57 +0100 2611111 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2512255&cid=t_113306_129_f&fid=36036&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Fkelly-building-a-crohns-disease-community%2Fimportance-of-diet-in-crohns-disease%2F In the last blog, we touched on the subject of diet, but I want to go a little further with it this week.  What to eat and what not to eat is a really frustrating aspect of Crohn’s disease.  What we could really use is a manual that would tell us what foods to avoid instead of having to do the trial and error method that we all have to currently do.  There is no manual that is handed out once you obtain your diagnosis of Crohn’s disease that states: ‘if you eat this you will feel bad so avoid it at all costs’.  No, instead, they pretty much don’t tell you anything.  I think that the doctors purposely avoid the topic of diet because it is so different from patient to patient that there really isn’t a specific diet for Crohn’s disease that they can point you to.  But ther... Life with Crohn's blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2512255 Wed, 10 Jun 2009 04:29:40 +0100 2512255 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2442198&cid=t_113306_129_f&fid=36036&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Fkelly-building-a-crohns-disease-community%2Ffood-investigation-what-can-you-eat-for-ibd%2F Welcome back from the three day holiday.  I hope that you had a good Memorial Day.  We didn’t do anything special, just visited our family and hung around the house.  Our daughter spent the holiday at her friend’s pool which allowed my husband and I to have a “Lost-athon.”  We caught up on all of the TV episodes of Lost that we haven’t watched.  That was fun because we never watch three in a row.  This weekend was also great because my husband did most of the cooking (yay)!!  I am in a rut again with food.  I just don’t want to try too many different things because I like to feel good so I prefer to eat the foods that I know are safe. I have been trying this new protein antioxidant drink called Mix1 to see if it will be a good additional source o... Life with Crohn's blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2442198 Thu, 28 May 2009 22:26:38 +0100 2442198 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2405781&cid=t_113306_129_f&fid=36038&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Ftrevis-life-with-multiple-sclerosis-ms%2Favoiding-assistive-devices-is-not-a-good-idea%2F What a wonderful weekend in America’s Pacific Northwest!  I wrung every last bit of energy and physicality from this MS riddled body and, I’m paying for it today, but that’s okay with me.  It’s a control thing for me.  I’m much more willing to tap my own energy to the maximum on my terms than I am to let multiple sclerosis take what and when it wants. So, today (and last night, really) I’ve got a bit of a hobble when I walk. And, as always, it got me thinking… At some point, most of us have experienced some form of lower limb weakness.  This symptom can be very scary because it could mean potential disability in the future.   Such (even temporary) symptoms can be a window to a world we would much rather bypass. If such a symptom is fleeting (meaning a week or two) we ma... Life with MS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2405781 Mon, 11 May 2009 20:03:03 +0100 2405781 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2382671&cid=t_113306_129_f&fid=36036&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Fkelly-building-a-crohns-disease-community%2Fapril-check-in-how-is-your-crohns-today%2F Hey everyone!  How are you today?  I hope well.  Today’s blog is devoted to you telling us how you are doing today.  This is something that I try to do at the end of each month in order for us all to know how everyone else in our Crohn’s community is doing with their illness and life in general. I’ll go first… I am tired but good.  I am lowering my prednisone dosage which is always tricky, but I am thinking positive (or trying to not think about it).  I don’t lower it very much (from 9 mg to 8.5 mg) and then in two weeks I will go to 8 mg.  Right now I am alternating 8mg then 9mg every other day.  This confuses my body so that it doesn’t know what is coming next which makes tapering easier.  I am really happy to be down to 8.5 mg and hope that I don’t jinx myself.  ... Life with Crohn's blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2382671 Fri, 01 May 2009 16:45:42 +0100 2382671 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2365301&cid=t_113306_129_f&fid=36036&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Fkelly-building-a-crohns-disease-community%2Fexercising-with-crohns-disease%2F I had a really bad flare up of my Crohn’s a few years ago where my ankles swelled up so much that I couldn’t walk for almost a month.  Crohn’s disease effects more than just the intestines, it can also affect the skin, joints, mouth, and throat.  In some people it can also affect the eyes.  Since this flare up, I stopped doing high impact exercise for fear that my joints would swell back up.  They were very touchy for a long time.  Recently, I had my yearly bone scan performed and found out that my bones actually got worse even though I was taking the bone strengthening medicine Boniva and lots of Calcium supplements (with Vitamin D) .  I started taking this dance class before I had my bone scan but am happy that I started it because moving your body around in any way helps the... Life with Crohn's blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2365301 Thu, 23 Apr 2009 19:47:55 +0100 2365301 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2349171&cid=t_113306_129_f&fid=36036&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Fkelly-building-a-crohns-disease-community%2Fmarried-with-crohns-disease%2F Living with Crohn’s disease has been a roller coaster of a life so far, and unfortunately, I keep dragging my family up and down the hills with me.  My husband doesn’t handle it so well.  His chosen method of dealing with the disease is to ignore it and pretend that it doesn’t exist.  This is what he has done in the past and hopefully will not do in the future thanks to more open and honest conversations.  I guess we’ll see. My Crohn’s disease has been the biggest issue in my marriage because it essentially affects every decision that I make and everything that I do.  It is usually the basis for my complaints to my husband and the reason that sometimes I whine (in his opinion) to him.  I don’t think that I am whining; I think that I am begging for some help!  The problem... Life with Crohn's blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2349171 Wed, 15 Apr 2009 19:37:35 +0100 2349171 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2321734&cid=t_113306_129_f&fid=36036&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Fkelly-building-a-crohns-disease-community%2Fis-your-crohns-disease-making-you-antisocial%2F I think I’m becoming antisocial.  I like to be around people; it is just that sometimes it is so tiring.  For instance, a week ago, my husband decided that he wanted to invite some friends over for a party.  He has wanted to have a party for a while but I was taking night classes in Jan. and Feb. and needed the weekends to study and do my homework (and rest!).   But, I finished my class in early March and I didn’t want to keep saying, “not right now,” so I agreed even though I had just finished taking the antibiotics for a sinus infection and was not really healthy.  My husband promised that he would do all of the work and I would only have to do minor tasks – and he even kept his promise this time!  I didn’t do too much, but mostly that is because I was sick.  I can no... Life with Crohn's blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2321734 Wed, 01 Apr 2009 17:33:46 +0100 2321734 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2295066&cid=t_113306_129_f&fid=36036&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Fkelly-building-a-crohns-disease-community%2Fmanaging-crohns-disease-and-your-fear%2F There are so many things in this world to fear: the economy, terrorism, loss of job, house, or possessions, asteroids hitting the Earth!  It seems that every day there is something new reported in the news for us to panic about.  If you live with Crohn’s disease, the fear is compounded since the fear of the disease can be added to the already seemingly overwhelming list of fears.  Living with a chronic disease like Crohn’s disease means that fear is an unwanted companion that we are always trying to get rid of. For me, dealing with fear is a constant battle.  I made a decision long ago that I don’t want to live in fear and I am constantly reminding myself of this.  We all have fear and I think that’s normal.  I think what really matters is how you handle your fear.  It can e... Life with Crohn's blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2295066 Wed, 18 Mar 2009 21:03:30 +0100 2295066 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2234067&cid=t_113306_129_f&fid=36036&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Fkelly-building-a-crohns-disease-community%2Fa-day-in-the-life-of-a-crohns-flare%2F Yesterday started out really bad.  When anyone would ask me how my day was, I would say “fine” but there was a lot hidden behind that word that I didn’t say.  Here is what “fine” meant for me yesterday: The night before last night I had the worst migraine headache so I went to bed early but woke up a lot during the night because of the pain.  The headache was still there when I woke yesterday morning and I felt very tired.  I am the one who takes our daughter to school in the mornings and she likes to get there early and she doesn’t like to be late.  Also, they get written up if they are late.  I had about ten minutes to finish getting ready (do my hair and get dressed) and to make my lunch, when I felt that all too familiar awful Crohn’s disease cra... Life with Crohn's blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2234067 Wed, 04 Mar 2009 17:31:40 +0100 2234067 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2201193&cid=t_113306_129_f&fid=36036&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Fkelly-building-a-crohns-disease-community%2Fmy-experience-taking-biologics-for-crohns-disease%2F There has been a lot of progress in the area of anti-TNF drugs which are usually referred to as “biologics.” In this blog post I will give you all the information that I have on each of the drugs, as well as, my experiences with the ones that I have taken.  Keep in mind that I am a mechanical engineer and not a doctor.  I also want to emphasize that these are my personal experiences with these medications.  Every person reacts to medication differently and you should always be in constant contact with your doctor before, during and after taking biologics for Crohn’s disease. A brief background: The anti-TNF drugs target a substance in the blood called the Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF)-alpha which is a cytokine (specialized protein that promotes inflammation in the intest... Life with Crohn's blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2201193 Fri, 20 Feb 2009 20:27:31 +0100 2201193 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2195240&cid=t_113306_129_f&fid=36041&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Fchrista-life-with-psoriasis%2Fthe-self-fulfilling-psoriasis-flares%2F Writers are always being told “write what you know,” and obviously that is the basic and rather brilliant idea behind HealthTalk blogging. We live with these conditions and therefore are best qualified to write about life with whatever health condition, in my case psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. The thing is that with chronic conditions we may have periods where nothing much is happening for us and our condition is either reasonably well managed or simply behaving itself, so what do we write about during those times? Usually I look to see what the support groups are talking about, what’s in the news, what is happening or of concern to other people I know who have psoriasis…including members of my own family. This means that sometimes I may write about things that I a... Life with Psoriasis blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2195240 Wed, 28 Jan 2009 00:21:55 +0100 2195240 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2129418&cid=t_113306_129_f&fid=36036&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Flife-with-crohns%2Fkelly%2Fif-life-with-crohns-disease-could-be-plotted-on-a-graph%2F If life with Crohn’s disease could be plotted on a graph, it would look like a sine wave.  In case you don’t know what a sine wave looks like, or have forgotten, here is a diagram: You see, the top of the wave would be when I am in remission and the top of the bottom wave would be when I am in the apex of a flare. Instead of degrees on the x-axis, lets put weeks.  So, where you see 90 it is 90 weeks instead of 90 degrees, and 180 weeks and so on.  You see, nothing happens fast.  It is very slow.  Healing takes a long time and it often seems like I am sick forever (especially to my husband!).  When I am feeling good, I want it to last a lot longer than it does and I forget all the good times more easily than the bad (again giving the impression of being sick forever).  I... Life with Crohn's blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2129418 Fri, 23 Jan 2009 17:57:49 +0100 2129418 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2047803&cid=t_113306_129_f&fid=36036&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Flife-with-crohns%2Fkelly%2Fthe-colors-of-your-poop-and-what-it-means%2F There are many things that you can learn about the status of your health just by observing the color and texture of your poop and the frequency with which you go. All of you veteran Crohnies out there know exactly what I am talking about. For all of you newly diagnosed Crohn’s patients, I hope this will help you a little. And, everyone, please provide your insight as well! Brown Brown is the normal color of poop. There is a pigment called bilirubin that is formed when the red blood cells in the liver and bone marrow break down. This ends up (by a complicated process) in the intestines where bacteria begins to form and eat which turns the poop brown. When iron in the red blood cells combine with bilirubin, it turns brown and when the iron influenced bilirubin combines with the poop,... Life with Crohn's blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2047803 Wed, 17 Dec 2008 18:47:51 +0100 2047803 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1991743&cid=t_113306_129_f&fid=36036&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Flife-with-crohns%2Fkelly%2Fholiday-parties-and-crohns-diseaseavoid-if-possible%2F It’s that time of year again for parties, celebrating, shopping and being thankful. What are you thankful for this year? I am thankful for so many things, and I am going to put these things into the forefront whenever I am feeling bad about not being able to eat anything but plain boring food. No matter, at least I will not gain weight. I have been in a funky mood lately. I think that it has more to do with going down on the prednisone than anything else. I am now on 12mg of prednisone and hope to keep going down. I am trying not to get too excited or look forward to getting lower too much so that way I don’t get too disappointed. But, I am happy to be at 12mg and maybe will get to 11mg by Christmas. And then, maybe 10!!! I haven’t been to 10mg in a long time. This year I... Life with Crohn's blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1991743 Wed, 26 Nov 2008 19:27:11 +0100 1991743 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1975922&cid=t_113306_129_f&fid=36036&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Flife-with-crohns%2Fkelly%2Fa-web-site-that-finds-toilets-anywhere-in-the-world%2F I was driving to work in the morning the other day, and on the radio they were talking about situations when you had to go to the bathroom at a time that was really inconvenient. They had the listeners call in with their stories. I didn’t call because I have way too many stories to tell as most of you probably do too (unfortunately)! But the radio announcer started talking about this Web site that maps all of the toilets all around the world. And, even better, you can add in a toilet so that everyone else will know where it is. Isn’t that great? We can surely add a lot of information into this tool The Web site is called SitorSquat.com, let me know what you think.  But don’t click on any of the links that say that you have won anything - a lot of times people are just p... Life with Crohn's blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1975922 Wed, 19 Nov 2008 18:55:04 +0100 1975922 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1939860&cid=t_113306_129_f&fid=36036&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Flife-with-crohns%2Fkelly%2Fcrohns-disease-and-cruises-a-recipe-for-love%2F We are back from our 10-year anniversary cruise, and we are so in love! Really, it was nice spending some quality time together and having no other responsibilities. We get along really well - especially when there are no chores to fight about. The cruise was okay. I was nauseous from the boat rocking - even with the patch on. The seas were not calm at all, and there was some bad weather every now and then. We had too many days at sea, and we are not really casino players or lay-in-the sun kind of people. We liked the shows at night, and I really liked the dinners. Before the cruise, I had contacted Carnival Cruise Lines asking if they could support my diet. They sent me some forms to fill out explaining my medical condition and my requirements. I wrote that I could not tolerate pepper or ... Life with Crohn's blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1939860 Wed, 05 Nov 2008 23:20:14 +0100 1939860 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1877200&cid=t_113306_165_f&fid=37959&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthskills.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F10%2F15%2Fcue-cards-for-coping%2F One problem people have when learning coping skills is remembering what to do and when to do it.   In the heat of the moment it can be really difficult to recall exactly what the new strategy is!  We also know that pain interferes with recall because of the disruptive effect on attention, and this effect is heightened when people are anxious about their pain.  One good measure for whether attention and thinking processes are disrupted is the Pain Anxiety Symptoms Scale (McCracken & Dhingra, 2002). There are a few techniques for helping people to remember what to do - including some of my favourites like a sticker on a doorframe, post-it notes on the computer or dashboard of the car, or reminders on a cellphone or computer.  But one way that has been helpful for several reasons is ... HealthSkills Weblog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1877200 Tue, 14 Oct 2008 18:16:08 +0100 1877200 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1802966&cid=t_113306_129_f&fid=36036&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Flife-with-crohns%2Fkelly%2Fpreparing-for-hurricane-ike-during-a-storm-of-fears%2F Editor’s Note: Kelly wrote this post last week before Hurricane Ike hit her hometown of Houston. I was laying here trying to sleep, and I couldn’t help thinking about stress management. I am laying here thinking about stress management because I have been under a lot of stress this last week, and I am in need of some sort of stress management. Last Sunday, my husband left for Indonesia and since he is so far away (12 hours ahead) I have been a little anxious. He is also in a remote area, so it is not easy to get in touch with him. Before he left, hurricane Ike was still far away and forecasted to hit in Mexico. Now, on the Thursday night before Ike is to hit, he is projected to come right over us. They have evacuated my county and so my daughter and I are at my in-law’s h... Life with Crohn's blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1802966 Thu, 18 Sep 2008 00:04:05 +0100 1802966 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1739552&cid=t_113306_129_f&fid=36036&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Flife-with-crohns%2Fkelly%2Ffrustrations-and-feelings-about-my-crohns-disease%2F I guess that I still have not completely accepted my Crohn’s disease because I spent last weekend feeling completely frustrated about everything. It started out with a huge fight between me and my husband Friday night. We always fight when I start feeling bad. I say he doesn’t care and is not sympathetic enough and he says that I am whiny and in a bad mood. I was in bad shape on Friday (I think now that maybe it was bad tuna fish or the mayo) and had a horrible day at work. I was really tired when I came home and was not looking forward to the evening of packing for our trip to Washington DC. I was really just not looking forward to the trip at all and then we have a fight, which makes everything worse. It seems that we fight when we are stressed. I wanted to just get my stuff ... Life with Crohn's blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1739552 Thu, 28 Aug 2008 16:30:50 +0100 1739552 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1649368&cid=t_113306_129_f&fid=36036&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Flife-with-crohns%2Fkelly%2Ffacing-your-crohns-fears%2F I went to all of my doctor’s appointments last week and they agree that I am doing good, but I am still too high on the steroids. I have to go down really slowly because whenever I taper too quickly, I flare up again and end up starting all over. I refuse to start all over so I am going at a very slow pace. So far I have made it down to 12 mg of prednisone and hope to continue to get lower. Each time that I go to the doctor, I come away filled with anxiety over all the bad things that can go wrong. I get this sense of urgency to get off the prednisone (from my rheumatologist mainly) but I know that if I push too hard too fast that my body does not react kindly. I have been there several times already. My gastro doc understands this and tries to find other alternatives for me, but the... Life with Crohn's blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1649368 Wed, 23 Jul 2008 22:47:31 +0100 1649368 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1631708&cid=t_113306_129_f&fid=36036&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Flife-with-crohns%2Fkelly%2Fwhat-its-like-to-be-pregnant-with-crohns-disease%2F Since I was talking about my daughter last week, I thought that I would continue that theme this week and tell you about my pregnancy. We had only been married for three months and never planned to have a baby so quickly. In fact, we were going to wait two years to get accustomed to being married while we investigated the risks associated with having Crohn’s disease and being pregnant. The year of our wedding, I was really adamant about getting off the steroids and not being fat-faced for my wedding day. I had been recovering from a flare when he proposed and when he told me he wanted to get married in six months, the only thing I could think of was “how will I ever get low enough on the prednisone to look normal for my wedding?” But I did it! I managed to get down to 5 mg and wa... Life with Crohn's blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1631708 Wed, 16 Jul 2008 19:55:20 +0100 1631708 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1606285&cid=t_113306_129_f&fid=36036&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Flife-with-crohns%2Fkelly%2Fcrohns-can-bring-out-the-best-and-worst-in-us%2F I have been on 15 mg of prednisone for over a month now, so now I have to decrease my level of dosage. I hate doing this because I was just starting to feel good and felt like my brain was no longer in a fog. Right after we got back from San Francisco, I started the decrease of prednisone and have been feeling the effects ever since. Friday I was just plain emotional, needy and cranky. It also doesn’t help when I am stressed and tired, which is what I have been. I haven’t been able to sleep (even with a sleeping pill) and I know that lack of sleep plays a big part in my mood. Everything was great in San Francisco, but when we came home my Crohn’s started reacting on top of not being able to sleep. I wanted my husband to just do all the chores because can’t he see that I need to res... Life with Crohn's blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1606285 Thu, 10 Jul 2008 20:19:27 +0100 1606285 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1509263&cid=t_113306_129_f&fid=36036&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Flife-with-crohns%2Fkelly%2Fhow-is-your-crohns-today-the-june-edition%2F Today has been miserable for my Crohn’s, but I can’t complain too much because I had four really good days in a row (and on travel)! It was a miracle. I have never felt so good on travel before. This time I took extra precautions and was really strict with my diet. I didn’t even care if the waiter thought that I was crazy for wanting nothing except some salt on any of my food. I told them that I was allergic to pepper and seasonings. The first night, we went out to a restaurant that made grilled items. I told them specifically to not put anything on it and when they served it to me, it had garlic mashed potatoes instead of the white rice I ordered as well as pepper. We sent it back and they gave me a new one. When the new plate came back the dish still had pepper on it. I thi... Life with Crohn's blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1509263 Wed, 11 Jun 2008 22:47:22 +0100 1509263 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1494645&cid=t_113306_129_f&fid=36036&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Flife-with-crohns%2Fkelly%2Fdoes-this-argument-sound-familiar%2F My husband is traveling to San Francisco and he wants me and my daughter to join him for the weekend. The plan is to leave tomorrow and come back on Sunday night. When he first proposed this idea, we had an argument about it because he thinks I am “being difficult,” while I think he is making things too complex. He wanted a decision right away and I was stalling. The thing is, I want to go. I have always wanted to go to San Francisco and ride on that trolley that goes down that great big hill. But truth be told – I am afraid to go. I want to get off my prednisone really badly, and because I am on the path to recovery I don’t want anything to get in the way of that. Travel usually means not sleeping well and eating foods that don’t agree with me, and I usually don’t feel all tha... Life with Crohn's blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1494645 Wed, 04 Jun 2008 21:47:22 +0100 1494645 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1410001&cid=t_113306_129_f&fid=36036&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Flife-with-crohns%2Fkelly%2Fhow-is-your-crohns-today-3%2F I am going to start the “How is your Crohn’s today?” monthly installments again in order for all of us to keep up with how everyone else is doing. In case you are new to this blog, I stole this idea from the MS blogger Trevis Gleason because I thought that it was a great idea. The idea is that we each tell how we are feeling today. I will start by saying that I am generally good. I have decreased my prednisone to 15mg per day and the last couple of days I have been a little depressed and very tired. I know that it is my medicines that make me feel this way, but still, it doesn’t make the sadness go away or the irrational thoughts, joint pain and certainly doesn’t make my mind work faster. I just have to wait it out until I get balanced again. I was feeling really good bu... Life with Crohn's blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1410001 Wed, 30 Apr 2008 18:24:52 +0100 1410001 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1297990&cid=t_113306_129_f&fid=36036&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Flife-with-crohns%2Fkelly%2Fsigns-and-symptoms-that-a-crohns-flare-is-coming%2F Today I went for my yearly eye exam. Luckily, there is no sign of glaucoma or cataracts, which is really good since I have been on steroids for so long. Plus there is no sign of inflammation. Crohn’s disease can cause inflammation in many different parts of the body other than your small and large intestines. These include your skin, joints, mouth, throat and eyes. I get the inflammation in all of these except my eyes, which I pray will remain unaffected. Inflammation of the skin can cause inflamed skin nodules on the arms and legs (erythema nodosum), and blue-red skin sores containing puss (pyoderma gangrenosum). I get the erythema nodosum. They are red hot patches on the skin that are very tender to the touch. I have gotten these before and after a major intestinal flare and once all... Life with Crohn's blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1297990 Wed, 12 Mar 2008 17:10:44 +0100 1297990 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1236381&cid=t_113306_129_f&fid=36041&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Flife-with-psoriasis%2Fchrista%2Fthe-self-fulfilling-psoriasis-flares%2F Writers are always being told “write what you know,” and obviously that is the basic and rather brilliant idea behind HealthTalk blogging. We live with these conditions and therefore are best qualified to write about life with whatever health condition, in my case psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. The thing is that with chronic conditions we may have periods where nothing much is happening for us and our condition is either reasonably well managed or simply behaving itself, so what do we write about during those times? Usually I look to see what the support groups are talking about, what’s in the news, what is happening or of concern to other people I know who have psoriasis…including members of my own family. This means that sometimes I may write about things that I a... Life with Psoriasis blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1236381 Fri, 15 Feb 2008 23:58:17 +0100 1236381 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1213373&cid=t_113306_129_f&fid=36036&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Flife-with-crohns%2Fkelly%2Fis-it-a-kidney-stone-or-is-my-pain-crohns-related%2F Now I am really confused and frustrated. I still have this terrible pain in my right side, and it feels exactly like a kidney stone, but the urologist said today that my kidneys looked good and that the pain was not coming from there. Two weekends ago, I went to the urgent care facility because of this pain and they did a CT scan. The doctor there was a bit wishy-washy and told me that there was a stone in the kidney but there shouldn’t be any pain. He diagnosed me with a kidney stone, gave me a prescription for the pain and sent me on my way. And as usual, I left and then thought of all the questions that I should have asked, for example, how big was the stone? They said that there was blood in my urine and thought that one might have already passed. But the pain kept up, so on Friday I... Life with Crohn's blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1213373 Wed, 06 Feb 2008 23:47:18 +0100 1213373 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2512233&cid=t_113306_129_f&fid=36041&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Fchrista-life-with-psoriasis%2Fupdate-on-otc-creams%2F Some time ago, I wrote about some OTC cream I bought while we were on holiday in the U.S.A. last year…and I thought it was about time for an update and a verdict. Initially, I didn’t see much by way of improvement to my psoriasis. However, my mother was delighted with the results when she tried it on a very stubborn patch of eczema on her leg that had not been responding to prescribed corticosteroid cream. In light of her success, I decided to persevere and I have to say that the skin is less scaly and less prone to flaking. The positives of this cream, in addition to the above, are the following: (Source: Life with Psoriasis) Life with Psoriasis blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2512233 Wed, 06 Feb 2008 00:36:41 +0100 2512233 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2512234&cid=t_113306_129_f&fid=36041&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Fchrista-life-with-psoriasis%2Fim-not-hibernating-im-just-flaring%2F I can hardly believe it has been so long since my last blog entry and I feel I should begin by wishing all HealthTalk bloggers and blog readers a belated but very Happy and Healthy New Year! I haven’t been hibernating, although with the weather we’ve had that is quite an appealing option, but fell foul of a very nasty and protracted flare. It seems this was linked to a persistent throat infection and the whole sorry mess pretty much ground my life and productivity to a halt. Throat infections seem to have a real impact on my psoriasis – both on the skin outbreaks and the flares of arthritis too. My skin was sore, cracked and bleeding and my joints were sore swollen and very painful. Of course when my hands become so badly inflamed it makes taking care of my skin that much harder and ... Life with Psoriasis blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2512234 Tue, 29 Jan 2008 22:40:56 +0100 2512234 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1140226&cid=t_113306_129_f&fid=36036&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Flife-with-crohns%2Fkelly%2Fworrying-about-complications-from-my-crohns%2F I hope that everyone has made it through the holiday season and didn’t eat too many things that were bad for you. I managed to maintain control of myself and seem to have made it through relatively okay, even if I did eat too much of my mother’s wonderful sweet potato casserole. It is just too heavy for me to eat a lot of and usually doesn’t sit well, but I ate it anyway because I only get it once per year (if that even). Usually when we go to parties, people have all this snack food that I can’t eat. So, I manage to eat less, which is good. But I can see how people could gain a lot of weight this time of year – there are so many yummy looking foods. I went back to my GI and rheumatologist on Wed. of last week. I don’t know why but I usually start feeling better just before I g... Life with Crohn's blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1140226 Wed, 09 Jan 2008 23:09:16 +0100 1140226 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1126516&cid=t_113306_129_f&fid=36036&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Flife-with-crohns%2Fkelly%2Fmy-personal-ten-commandments-for-living-with-chrons-disease%2F Here we are, in a brand new year with a chance at a fresh start. I have decided to start again, but this time with some rules. Today in the tradition of New Year’s Resolutions I’m listing off some things that have been rattling around in my mind. I think I want to designate these as my personal, “Ten Commandments for Living with Crohn’s Disease.” Please send me your comments and we will update them as necessary. This is just my first draft. Thou shall not complain – even when you are justified in doing so. We shall hold our heads high and be strong and take the pain until it passes. We will do this, not only for ourselves but also, for our family and friends. Telling how we feel is not the same as complaining, it is okay to tell but not okay to whine and complain. Thou shall t... Life with Crohn's blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1126516 Wed, 02 Jan 2008 21:47:22 +0100 1126516 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1119389&cid=t_113306_129_f&fid=36036&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Flife-with-crohns%2Fkelly%2Fhappy-holidays-dont-work-too-hard%2F This last week was one of the busiest weeks for me. At the beginning of the week the big boss recruited me for some help on a project, so I have been working late every night to try and catch up and be productive. They decided to have a work-a-thon on Thursday and didn’t really ask me if I wanted or could work late – they just said that we were and they would buy dinner. Like buying dinner is something that would make me say, “Yippie- let’s work all night!” Once they started talking about the work-a-thon, I started to worry. These were higher ranked bosses than the one that I told about my Crohn’s disease. These people don’t really work with me everyday and even if they did I probably wouldn’t tell them. I started to worry about how I was going to get out of this dinner thi... Life with Crohn's blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1119389 Thu, 27 Dec 2007 22:32:15 +0100 1119389 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1106394&cid=t_113306_129_f&fid=36036&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Flife-with-crohns%2Fkelly%2Fthe-spoon-theory-may-help-others-relate-to-your-crohns%2F I have never been able to explain to anyone what it is like to have Crohn’s. Not that too many people have ever asked me what it is like exactly. Most people don’t ask and I for sure don’t tell or go into details. For the last year, I have been really trying to open up more and share more (hence the blogging) and really trying to make my husband understand me. Not the ‘me’ that he thinks that I am but the me that I actually am. The me that includes Crohn’s. I have not been able to explain it to my husband well enough for him to really get where I’m coming from with that part of my life. On my last blog, a comment was made to check out the website and story on ButYouDontLookSick.com : The Spoon Theory, a personal story and analogy of what it is like to be sick. I read this sto... Life with Crohn's blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1106394 Wed, 19 Dec 2007 19:49:46 +0100 1106394 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1090709&cid=t_113306_129_f&fid=36036&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Flife-with-crohns%2Fkelly%2Fhaving-chrons-makes-you-a-master-of-time-managemnt%2F On one of my performance evaluations at work I got called out for time management. I was really upset because I feel like I am the queen of time management. Don’t you feel like you are a king or queen of time management? When you have a chronic illness, you have to be really good at managing your time because there is just not enough time for everything. There is more work that you have to do and there are fewer resources (mostly energy). Good time management skills are critical to disease survival. When you have a disease, you have to be very stringent with your time because you need more rest than a healthy person. We need to make sure to get enough sleep at night (at least 5.5 hours in a row, which is really hard to do when on prednisone) and we need to make sure that we don’t stres... Life with Crohn's blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1090709 Wed, 12 Dec 2007 20:10:43 +0100 1090709 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1072511&cid=t_113306_129_f&fid=36036&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Flife-with-crohns%2Fkelly%2Fout-of-the-closet-disclosing-your-crohns-disease%2F I have come out of the closet – so to speak. I told my boss that I have Crohn’s disease. He is not the boss that is in charge of my work, but the boss that is in charge of my pay raises. I have two bosses since I am a contractor – my company boss and my client boss. I disclosed my Crohn’s to my company boss. We went to lunch last week and I was tired of getting the same ham and cheese sandwich. I usually bring my lunch to avoid the whole situation of being too picky and causing a lot of unnecessary questions. But, lately I have not had enough time to make my lunch every evening because I am taking some Internet courses for work as well as managing my usual work load. The result is that I am always running late in the mornings. So last week I went with my boss to the cafeteria a... Life with Crohn's blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1072511 Wed, 05 Dec 2007 23:20:14 +0100 1072511 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1057558&cid=t_113306_129_f&fid=36036&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Flife-with-crohns%2Fkelly%2Fcatering-to-your-crohns%2F I read the HealthTalk interview with Pearl Jam’s Mike McCready last night and was very inspired. I never think that anyone famous has Crohn’s disease. It is a hard disease and very difficult to hide sometimes. I have always liked Pearl Jam, and now I like them even better. I really like the way that his band seems to support him and accepts his disease. It’s so great! We all face the same obstacles, whether we are in a rock band, teaching a group of students or leading a meeting. When your bowels call, you have to answer. There are things that we can do to make sure that there are no catastrophes during an important event. When I know I have to lead a meeting, I eat a very bland diet during the days leading up to it. Usually, that diet consists of fish (or chicken) with rice and ... Life with Crohn's blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1057558 Thu, 29 Nov 2007 02:25:21 +0100 1057558 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1030325&cid=t_113306_129_f&fid=36036&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Flife-with-crohns%2Fkelly%2Fnovember-check-on-how-is-your-crohns-today%2F We haven’t had an installment of “How is your Crohn’s today?” in a while. I haven’t written one in a while because it doesn’t seem to generate a lot of comments for us Crohnies - it’s a huge success in the MS blog (which is why I decided to try it here). I’m not sure if we should keep it or discuss other things; what do you think? I have read in the comments that some of you are feeling depressed right now. It is really easy to let the depression in; but you have to fight it. Get up, go for a walk, make something, read something, build something, do a crossword, anything – do anything to take your mind off your troubles. Do anything except focus on your troubles. I try to keep myself as busy as I can because sometimes it can all be too much. The prednisone... Life with Crohn's blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1030325 Thu, 15 Nov 2007 18:05:49 +0100 1030325 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1012549&cid=t_113306_129_f&fid=36036&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Flife-with-crohns%2Fkelly%2Ftoo-many-doctor-appointments%2F Last week, I was busy with Crohn’s treatments. I saw a colon-rectal surgeon, a rheumatologist, and then my gastro doc. The visit with the colon-rectal surgeon was humiliating, of course, but it was good that I had that exam. I am still pretty inflamed and the rectum is not good, but he said it was not bad enough to take the entire colon out yet. He did say that the removal of colon and rectum is the only thing that will fix my problems but that they seem pretty stable right now. He advised me to just manage the way I have been. He also gave me good news that I don’t have to have the seton put back in since this fistula is well-developed and should not close (the seton is placed to keep the fistula open so that abscesses don’t form). I was really happy about this news because I wasn�... Life with Crohn's blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1012549 Wed, 07 Nov 2007 20:19:51 +0100 1012549 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=995185&cid=t_113306_129_f&fid=36036&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Flife-with-crohns%2Fkelly%2Fliving-with-crohns-disease-is-courageous%2F One night I was surfing the Internet and found an article titled “Living with Chronic Illness Builds Courage” by Pauline Salvucci from the Self Care Connection. It was an article that was telling me that I was courageous just by living my life and dealing with my disease. I had never thought of my Crohn’s disease that way before. I have just been living and dealing with things day by day. I never really thought about all the impacts my Crohn’s has on every decision that I make and every relationship that I have. I printed out the article and I carry it around in my purse. I will sometimes read it and think “yes, I am courageous.” I feel good knowing that someone has recognized how difficult it is and has written down what I deal with from day to day. It is a goo... Life with Crohn's blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=995185 Wed, 31 Oct 2007 19:59:41 +0100 995185 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=976578&cid=t_113306_129_f&fid=36036&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Flife-with-crohns%2Fkelly%2Fdont-waste-your-healthy-time%2F Time. Let’s talk about time. Time is one of the most precious commodities. It is something that we cannot create more of, we all have equal amounts of and keeps on ticking no matter what we do. Something that you can always count on is the passing of time. It will pass, without fail. And this I depend on. This is how I make it through the pain. I depend on time. I know that if I just wait, the pain will pass – eventually it will pass. Nothing is forever. Just because I feel pain one minute does not mean that I will still feel pain the next. I have to wait and see what will come next. I have to be patient. I know that time will pass, and with time, things change. I don’t just use this philosophy for the pain, I use the same thought process when I am crazy from the prednisone and whack... Life with Crohn's blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=976578 Wed, 24 Oct 2007 21:06:32 +0100 976578 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=959068&cid=t_113306_129_f&fid=36036&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Flife-with-crohns%2Fkelly%2Fhiring-a-new-crohns-disease-doctor%2F So I have met my new gastro doctor and am now wondering if I have made a mistake in switching doctors. As I said in my last blog, I decided to switch because I was not sure the first doctor knew what to do with me. This new doctor knew a lot and seemed to be willing to try new options. But I don’t think that I’m ready to try more new options. Every time that I’ve tried a new therapy, I end up worse off or back to where I started. This was the first visit, so I guess that I’ll have to wait and see how it goes. My old doctor’s office was more convenient. I could go see her before going into work and would not miss a lot of time on the job. This other one is in downtown Houston, and it takes me 45 minutes to drive there from work. My thought was that it is better to have... Life with Crohn's blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=959068 Wed, 17 Oct 2007 23:10:45 +0100 959068 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=942029&cid=t_113306_129_f&fid=36036&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Flife-with-crohns%2Fkelly%2Ffiring-my-crohns-disease-doctor%2F I have decided to switch gastroenterologists and will see my new doctor on Wednesday. I decided to switch because I just didn’t get the feeling that my last gastro doctor knew what to do with me. I am a complicated patient. I don’t respond well to any of the medications and am pretty much stuck on prednisone and Imuran (azathioprine). I hate to switch doctors. Once I have answered all of the embarrassing questions and filled out all of the appropriate forms, I am reluctant to do it again. It is my reluctance to start a new relationship that keeps me bound to not so efficient doctors. But this time, I have vowed not to do this. I liked my previous doctor as a person, but I just didn’t think that she had enough knowledge to deal with me. The first time I saw her, she seemed okay, but I... Life with Crohn's blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=942029 Thu, 11 Oct 2007 01:04:10 +0100 942029 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=925543&cid=t_113306_129_f&fid=36036&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Flife-with-crohns%2Fkelly%2Fi-have-a-fistula%2F About ten years ago a doctor told me that I had a fistula. I know now that I had no idea back then of what a fistula actually was. I was young and didn’t ask a lot of questions and didn’t really concern myself with it. I didn’t really notice the fistula was all that different from the rest of my terrible bowels. When I moved to Texas, I told my doctor that I had a fistula (I still didn’t really understand what that meant) and she never denied it the entire time that I lived there. So, I am not really certain if she ever really saw a fistula or just took my word for it. Now that I have returned to Texas, I have decided to see a different specialist because I am not sure if my previous doctor ever really knew if I had a fistula or just took my word about it. I remember there were tim... Life with Crohn's blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=925543 Wed, 03 Oct 2007 21:58:36 +0100 925543 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=906331&cid=t_113306_129_f&fid=36036&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Flife-with-crohns%2Fkelly%2Fwhy-is-passing-gas-so-embarrassing%2F I am so embarrassed. Today it happened. What I have been dreading and trying really hard to avoid has now come to pass. I passed gas in front of my colleagues and I am sure that they heard it. We had our little team meeting this morning and my insides were not feeling too good from the start. Then during the meeting I could feel them rumbling and knew that I was getting gassy. Usually when I know that I’m gassy I try not to move. Sometimes that can be a problem, especially when someone asks you to come over to their desk. What am I supposed to do? Should I say, “Um can you wait a minute until I am certain that I will not pass gas and embarrass myself?” This problem really stresses me out everyday. There are some days when I have no bloating gassy problems for a few hours but I can p... Life with Crohn's blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=906331 Wed, 26 Sep 2007 20:44:25 +0100 906331 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=888905&cid=t_113306_129_f&fid=36036&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Flife-with-crohns%2Fkelly%2Fa-good-support-system-can-make-all-the-difference%2F I was never a healthy person. I think that I just came with some bad parts – mostly a bad immune system (and colon). I sometimes will joke and say that I got the used parts when they put me together. I was a colicky baby. I have had asthma since I was three and am allergic to what seems like everything. I was in and out of the hospital when I was little due to my asthma and then later due to my Crohn’s. My parents carted me back and forth to many doctor visits (including allergy shots three times per week) and never once complained or even made notice that it was an inconvenience to them. Once, they even drove all the way from Atlanta to Florida to pick me up because I became very sick during one of my spring break vacations. They never made me feel bad. They never once in my life told... Life with Crohn's blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=888905 Thu, 20 Sep 2007 19:59:54 +0100 888905 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=864422&cid=t_113306_129_f&fid=36036&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Flife-with-crohns%2Fkelly%2Fnot-talking-about-crohns%2F I don’t know about you guys, but I spend a lot of time NOT talking about my Crohn’s disease. This is one of the reasons why I decided to write for this blog – I never really talk about my disease. I am always very vague and non-specific. I always put on a happy face so that no one will ask what is wrong. If no one can see that you don’t feel good, then they will not ask too many questions. There are other reasons that I put on a happy face, but I think I will write about those in another blog. Today, I will focus on the “not wanting to talk about the not socially acceptable Crohn’s symptoms.” It is just that the symptoms are not really a good topic of discussion. I mean, who wants to talk about bloody diarrhea, lots of pain, gas, bloating, etc…and no one really want... Life with Crohn's blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=864422 Tue, 11 Sep 2007 20:38:40 +0100 864422 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=552120&cid=t_113306_140_f&fid=35457&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FBattling-schizophrenia%2F%7E3%2F106317083%2F By Groshan Fabiola It is known that no single symptom is specific to schizophrenia, so, in order to put a diagnosis, there must be some conditions present. We can mention 3 conditions. A condition is about certain symptoms that are present for at least six months even in the absence of active flare-ups, and include symptoms like marked social withdrawal, peculiar behavior, vague and incoherent speech, and other symptoms of disturbed thinking. The second condition is about the presence of at least one active flare-up lasting a month or less, consisting of at least two characteristic symptoms, like hallucinations, delusions, disorganized thinking and other. The third condition is about particularly bizarre delusions or hallucinations that appear in patients even in the absence of other char... Battling-Schizophrenia blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=552120 Tue, 03 Apr 2007 14:03:26 +0100 552120